Just keep rolling through the songs. You can pick up small things afterwards in protools.

One thing I've learned while recording over the years with the Pyronauts is don't take everything too serious, you gotta have fun. When you have fun playing the songs it tends to come through in the recording. I used to get all concerned about how much time and money we were spending and get pissed off. In turn, it would bring everybody down...bad scene, bad idea. Hell, I think the last time we were in the studio we played a game of wiffle ball on our lunch break!! Some people might think that sounds kinda gay, but I had fun...The only other thing I could suggest is to limit who goes to the studio. I.E.-no girlfriends, moms, etc. However, it does help to have what I call a psudo-producer, someone that knows what you guys sound like and can explain it to the engineer. I've found a few engineers that think instro surf should sound like the beach boys(Dick Dale Who?) Just make sure you get the sound/tone you want from the beginning.
Hope all goes well,
Bob Bitchin'

ProTools is the standard music editing software.

And I disagree with whoever said move on if you don't get it in one take. When we were in the studio we did 4-5 takes per song and we did 18 in one day. I'm guessing you have 12 hours in the studio?

dp
don't forget to eat...find a good Thai restraunt nearby and be sure to take a break and have some spicy pad thai... people get all caught up in the excitement of recording in the studio, they forget the necessities.

Ha. We had Thai when were in the studio as well. Actually where we recorded there is pretty much only Thai restaurants. Eating may have been the best part about recording. Hot dogs and pizza one day, thai and burgers, and a bag of chips and more hot dogs.

If you are going into a studio where it is ProTools. Make sure the engineer that is doing the recording is as literate with housekeeping on the computer as he is with doing the recording. Nothing can take the magic out of the room faster than waiting for the engineer to re-link all your sound files each time he opens a project.

Also, and this a more of a opinion thatn tip or suggestion. But, if recording digitally, record all your songs into one project file and use markers and the grid to seperate the songs. Use the count off in ProTools to start each track so when you do (if you do) cut and paste out to another project file. The starts are all at the zero mark.

Most important - get a burn of each sessions ProTools project in its Raw form. All the audio files, ProTools project files, fade files and any other notes on plugins. You never know if you are going to have to use a previous version of a track or song. Or you just need to have it mastered somewhere else. A DVD holds on the upside of 4 gigabytes. Think of it as insurance, just in case the studio burns down or something.

If you inclined, get yourself a Mbox or the M-audio Protools set up so you can dink around with songs at home. I have a Digi 002 control surface and never regreted plunking down the 2k for it.

_RT

Redd Tyde, thanks for the advice, makes a lot of good sense. I think I'll hold off on the $2k for home protools though, can't justify that. I think that like many of us, I have a full time job and 2 bands and no way the time to learn another skill like recording. So I'll have to rely on the people I pay to do it for me.

JakeDobner
Danny, did the studio make you get your own hard drives? We had to buy 2 80 gig hard drives. Also, I'm curious as to how you guys are recording? Live band in one room?

No one mentioned hard drives. This is a studio at a very large recording institute with big rooms and up to date equipment and vast array of mics. I believe we'll have seperate rooms but can see each other. If I find that too unnerving, I'll push to have us in the same room.

Also, we called our engineer a week before hand and talked to him about how we wanted it to sound. He listend to surf and then set up everything and chose the right mikes. We recorded live in the same room. We had virtually no bleed in from the other amps.

This engineer actively sought out a surf band to record, as he's a fan of the genre though he mostly listened to MoAM. He just graduated from the recording institute and still has the ability to use the rooms for free, which is why we're going there. I made him some comp CD's and pointed out some songs where I like the sound. He was very enthusiastic about all the music I gave him, so we have a real surf convert, young and energetic about the genre.

One more question, are you mixing as well at the studio? We did all 18 tracks on the first day but it took us 2 days to mix the album. And then we got it mastered off site.

Our goal is to record 5 originals and a handful of covers, time permitting. The covers will be live, while I plan to overdub the parts on the originals as needed. We'll mix over the next week, one or two songs at a time, probably at his home computer. He also offered to master it as well.

I'm aware of the limitations to this approach, but our chief concern is to get a 'decent' product out there for promotional use as inexpensively as possible. When the time comes to record our first CD, we'll re-record these songs. Our short term goal is to get as many gigs as we can and a myspace page.

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

Good luck in the studio Danny. Can't wait to hear what you guys cook up.

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JakeDobner
I can't wait to hear your stuff Danny. Its always great to get some new bands out there. The more the better. If only you were in Seattle then we could play gigs together.

Thanks Jake. I agree, we need to keep actively recruiting players to the surf genre, the only way to keep it alive and growing. I'd love to go to Seattle, never been. We can talk in Portland and maybe set something up. Aren't you planning to come through San Francisco this summer?

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

Let me know when you're coming through, I can help with places to crash.

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

danny,

have you heard of this.. Oblique Strategies by brian eno ?

http://www.rtqe.net/ObliqueStrategies/Acquire.html#download

it's like a mystical deck of cards for lost studio souls!

adam